Knitted fabric



193?- P. w. BRISTOW ET AL 1,385,521

KNITTED FABRIC Original Filed April 11, 193L 4 Sheets-Sheet ll/YVE/VTOkS W/r/vsas: Harold $877747? an? Era 1.517326: :0

P. w. BRISTOW ET AL 1,336,521

KNITTED FABRIC Original Filed April 11, 1931. 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 8,1932. P. w. BRISTOW ET AL KNITTED FABRIC Original Filed April 11, 1931.4 Sheets-Sheet 3 a5; 72: u Z 551215 25020 W V 1 lfyafififyd.

1932. P. w. slsTow ET AL 1,386,521

KNITTED FABRIC Original Filed April 11, 1931* 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 flu YPatented Nov. 8, 1932 I UNITED STATES.

PATIENT? oFFIcE PAUL W. BBIS'IOW, 01' WmGTON, AND HAIRO LD E. HOUSE'MAN,OF EDGE I003, DELA- WARE, ASSIGNOBS TO STANDARD-TRUMP BROS. COMPANY,Oil! WIIF- IINGTON', DELAWARE, A MBIOBATION OF DELAWARE KNITTED FABRICOriginal application fled April 11, 1981, Serial-Io. 529,518. Dividedand this application filed October 14,

1931. Serial No. 568,676.

This invention relates to a knitted fabric and a method and machine formaking the same, the-fabric being of the type having designs formed bywrap or embroidery yarns.

This application is a division of our prior application, Serial No.529,518, filed April 11, 1931,v for knitted fabric and process andmachine-for producing same.

The well known process of producing designs by the use of a wrap yarnhas heretofore generally included wrapping about needles above thelatches thereof yarns difiering in appearance from the main yarn oryarns so that the wrapped yarns are knit into the 100 s with the mainyarn and appear on the ace of the fabric in plated relationship thereto.When the pattern formed by the wrap yarns is to be interrupted, the wrapyarn 1s merely not wrapped about the needle. There then result floats ofgreater or less len h between-successive zones of plating whlch areundesirable, particularly in hoslery, and, if the design is elaborate,cannot be readily cut out.

These objectionable floats are avoided by the use of-the processdisclosed in an a plication of Stanley R. Shelmire, Serial umber497,977, filed November 25, 1930. Briefly, it involves wrapping eachwrap yarn about a needle (either the same one or adjacent ones) in theformation of every course, the wrapping being carried out so that at thetime of drawing the stitch the wrap yarn is either above or below thelatch, whereby, in the former case it appears on the face of the fabric,or in the latter case it is linked into the loops, thus avoiding floats,but it is substantially invisible from the face of the fabric.

The machine shown in the Shelmire application referred to abovehas arotary needle cylinder, which, of course, requires that the supplies ofwrap yarns rotate. Obviously, if a large number of wrap yarns are used,this arrangement would require a large yarn support capable of rotatingat the speed ofthe needle cylinder. It follows that the rotary cylindermachine is not ve well adapted for the production of comphcated wrapdesigns at high speeds.

In another application of Stanley R. Shelmire, Serial Number 469,056,filed July 19, 1930, there is disclosed a machine more suitable for thehigh speed production of intricate wrap designs involving a large numberof wrap yarns, this machine involving a stationary needle cylinder andconsequently yarn fingers which are stationary except for limited lationat one point resulting in invisible mcorporation of wrap yarns into thefabric, and manipulation at the other point, plating. Two variations ofsuch manipulation may occur. In one, in the formation of any course, awrapping device which is manipulated -at the first point is notmanipulated at the sec-' ond while a device which is manipulated at thesecond point is not manipulated at the first. In this case the resultsare similar to those disclosed in the first mentioned Shelmireapplication.

In the second variation, all -'of the wrapping devices are mani ulatedat the first point to result in invisi le wrapping. Then certain of thesame wrapping devices are I manipulated at the second point to produceplating. In the resulting fabric, which constitutes a further object ofthe invention, the visible and invisible wrapping are in a sensesuperimposed whereby a greater weight of wrap yarn is incorporated intothe fabric where plating occurs a heavy, embossed appearance results.This last procedure is further advantageous since proper plating isinsured by the tightness of engagement of the wrap yarn with the needle.

Further objects of the invention relate to the phases of the. novelmethod and machine whereby this improved fabric is produced.

Other objects of the invention relating particularly to details will beapparent from the following description, read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the parts of the machineadjacent the top of the needle cylinder;

Fig. 2is a plan view showing particularly the wrap finger controllingmechanism;

Fig. 3 is a developed inside view of the needle cams; e. F i 4 is a viewsimilar to part of Fig. 2 showlng a modified mechanism;

Fi 5 is a diagrammatic view of the face of a fabric produced by themechanism of Fi s. 1 to 3;,and

ig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of a modified abric produced by themechanism of Eeferring first to Figs. 1 to 3, there is illustrated amodification of the machine of the Shelmire application, Serial Number469,056, only so much of this machine being illustrated as is necessaryto an understandingv of the invention. For details reference may be madeto this Shelmire application and the a plications of Harold E. Houseman,Ser. os. 422,818 and 427,709,. filed, respectively, J anuar 23, 1930 andFebruary 12, 1930, the latter s owing suitable shogging means for thewrap fingers, which may be used is relatively narrow-panels of wrapdesigns are to be produced as compared with wrapping on substantiall allof the needles.

There is i ustrated at 2 a stationary needle cylinder of usualconstruction provided with vertical slots in which latch needles 4 arereciprocated in the conventional knitting wave by suitable rotatingcams, other rotating cams serving to operate the cooperating sinkersslidably mounted in the stationary sinker dial 6. A rotating latch ring10 of the construction illustrated in Shelmire application, SerialNumber 469,056, serves to guide main yarn or yarns to the needles, belngcarried, as are t e other rotating parts, by the rotatably andoscillatably mounted cam ring 8 driven in the usualmanner to rotatedurin the formation of the leg and foot of the osiery and to oscillateduring the formation of the heel and toe. The main yarn X is guidedthrough a suitable opening 12 in the latch ring.

Supported by the spindle 16 which is slid ably mounted in the frame andwhich may also be rotatably mounted for shogging pur- I poses is thewrap fingercylinder 18, in slots in which are located'the oscillatablewrap fingers 20 provided with suitable threadeyes at their lower endsfor the reception of wrap yarns indicated at W. These yarn "fingers iare provided with fulcrum portions resting in the trough of an annularring 22, the fingers being held in position by a retaining spring band24. To procure very elaborate designs there may be as many threadedfingers'20 as there' are needles. In fact, this is the preferredconstruction. However, if clock designs or bandwrapping is to beperformed there may be a smaller number of fingers than needles. In theformer caseshogging, is not feasible since at all times there would befingers passing between adjacent needles. On the other hand if certainof the fingers are absent shogging may'take place during the periodswhen no fingers are passing through the needle circle.

Each of the wrap fingers 20 is provided with'a series of butts 26 usedfor patterning purposes, and in the present instance with single butts27 at their uppermost ends for purposes hereafter described. Selectedbutts 26 may be broken out according to the usual practice for theproduction of designs.

Adapted to cooperate with the butts 26 are cams 28 in the form of aseries of levers, corresponding in number to the number of butts,pivoted on a pin 30 carried by a lever 32 which is pivoted at 36 to asupport carried by the rotating cam ring 8. Each of the cams 28 isprovided with a face 38 adapted to engage the butts to move the lowerends of the fingers outwardly between the needles, these lower endsbeing twisted out of radial plans so as to carry the wrap yarns aboutthe needles, during oscillatory movements of the fingers, in a clockwisedirection as viewed from above. Each of the cam levers is urged by anindividual spring 40 to bring a lug 42 carried thereby and having asloping cam surface into engagement with tricks carried by the trickwheel 44. As is usual in the production of patterns with trick wheelscertain butts on the tricks are missing. If there is at any time notrick butt opposite the lug 42 of the cam lever28 the cam lever will bemoved by the spring until its extension 46 en-- gages the stop pin 47carried by the lever 32. This Stop pin 47 may of course be omitted andthe lug permitted to drop against the trick wheel; however in 'suchcases undue wear on the wheel occurs and it is preferable to stop thelugs short of engagement with the wheel by the means just described. Thelever 32 is provided with an adjustable follower screw 48" arranged toengage either a flat 50 or a slope 52 formed on the end of a lever 54carried by a shaft 56 mounted in the frame and carrying at its lowerend'an arm 58 having an engaging face 59 for a purpose later described.The arm 58 also-carries a pin 60 extending downwardly within a slot 62in a lever 64 pivoted at 66 and having an engaging corner 65.

The trick wheel 44 is pivoted on a stud carried by a bracket secured tocam ring 8 and is provided with ratchet teeth 68 eecams rotate in aclockwise direction. as

follower 78 having the shape illustrated, the

follower 78 being at a level just above that of the lever 58. A spring80 reacting between the follower 78 and bracket 72 normally moves thepawl to a retracted position.

Adapted to cooperate with the levers 58 and 64 and with follower 78 is adisc 82 carried by a vertically movable rod slidable in a sleeve carriedby a stationary part of the machine frame. The movements of this red ina vertical direction are controlled by a pattern chain in the mannerillustrated in the Shelmire' application, Serial Number 469,056. Aspointed out in this case, such operation results in stepping of thetrick wheel or movement of the wrap fingers into or out of operativepositions.

Secured to the upper end of shaft 56 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 isan arm 84 provided with a cam surface 86 arranged to engage anadjustable follower screw carried by onearm 88 of a lever 90 which onthe side of its pivot opposite the arm 88 isprovided with a cam surface92. This cam surface 92 is arranged to engage the butts 27 of the wrapfingers in the same manner as the butts 26 are engaged by the camsurfaces 38 of levers 28. While the cam surfaces 92 and 38 act to movethe wrap fingers so that their lower threaded ends are carried outwardlyof the needle circle return cams 94 and 96 are provided to act upon thewrap fingers below their fulcrums to return them, this return movementcarrying the yarns on the opposite sides of the needles with which thefingers cooperate to effect a complete wrapping operation.

Referring now to Fig. 3 in which there is illustrated a developed insideview of the .needle cams, it will be noted that the usual upper cam 100is provided at the feed point, on the sides of this there being providedthe stitch cams 102 and 104. Since the needle viewed in plan, therelative movements of the needles through the stitch cams will be alongthe path illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and in the direction ofthe arrow. While cams 100, 102 and 104 ar'e of substantiallyconventional form, there are provided two additional cams 106 and 108engaged by the butts of the needles prior to passing through the usualcams. By cam 106 the needles are raised being later lowered by the cam.108 to a position such that the butts will then ride up over cam 104 andbe later depressed by cams 100 and .102 to take yarn and form stitchesin the usual fashion. By the letters A, B, G and D in Fig. 3 there aredesignated various 'zones of operation corresponding to actuation of thewrap fingers. The zone A represefits the point where wrapping initiallytakes place due to the action of cam surface 92 of lever 90 and returncam 96. At this point the wrap yarns are wrapped above the latch ofcorresponding needles in the usual fashion. After this takes place theneedles are moved upwardly by cam 106 through the zone indicated at B.At this time by reason of the upward movement of the needles the loopsof wrap arn are caused to occupy a position below t e latch of theneedles. Following this operation the needles are again depressedthrough zone C at which time the loops of wrap yarn will move relativelyto the needles up behind the latches without however closing thelatches. Thereafter in zone 1) wrapping takes place due to the action ofcams 38- and 94, selective wrapping of needles takes place either abovethe latch or not at all. Thereafter the needles take the main yarn andare drawn down by the stitch cam 102 to form stitches. I

It will now be evident that if the wrap finger corresponding to anyneedle has been actuated in both zones A and 'D a double loop of wrapyarn will be located about the needle, the first loop being below thelatch and the second loop being above the latch.

. When therefore the stitch is formed the wrap yarn will appear inplated relationship to the main yarn.

On the other hand if the wrap finger was actuated only in the zone A andnot in the zone D a single loop only of the wrap yarn would be locatedabout the needle below the latch. In this case the resulting stitchwould incorporate the wrap yarn in the manner illustrated in Shelmireapplication 497 ,977,

that is, without this wrap yarn appearing to' any substantial degreefrom the face of the fabric. In the preferable operation of'thei'nachine all of the wrap fingers are provided with butts 27 andaccordingly wraps ping always takes place in the zone Floats arethereby. avoided. The type of fabric formed by this operation will behereafter referred to in greater detail.

A modified type of machine is illustrated in Fig. 4, which figure,however, may be read with Fig. 3 inasmuch as the cam ar rangement is thesame as in the preceding modification. In the arrangement of Fig. 4there is no single finger such as 90 provided. Instead the stack offingers illustrated at 28 in Fig. 1 is broken up into two sets havingequal numbers of fingers, the upper set illustrated at 110 comprisingfingers extending around to the position occupied by the finger 90 ofthe first modification, these fingers 110 being provided with camfaces112 arranged to coact with upper butts of wrap fingers. The lowerset of fingers illustrated at 114 are the same as fingers 28 beingprovided with versely corresponding wheel so that if a nger wraps itscorresponding needle under the action of cam 112 it will not be actedupon by a cam 116 and vice versa. In other words, while by the use ofproper butts on the trick finger floating is always prevented,nevertheless during any rotation any needle is wrapped but once, the

location of the wrap loop at the time of stitch drawing being eitherabove or below the latch. In this way the double loops produced by thefirst modification are avoided. However, it is found that such doubleloops are generally to be preferred so that accordingly the modificationof Fi s. 1, 2 and 3 appears to be best. One of t e advantages from anoperating standpoint consists in the fact that the double wrapping ofyarn about a needle causes the wrap yarn to invariably appear on theface in properly plated relatlonship apparently because of the tightengagement thereof with the needle by reason of the initial wrap belowthe latch.

In the above operations it has been assumed that the wrapping has takenplace so that floats are totally avoided. It will be obvious howeverthat floating may occur, if desired, particularly if an absolutely totaldisappearance of the wrap yarn is desired at some portions of thefabric. In the modifications of Figs. 1 and 2 this may be readilyeffected by elimination of butts 27 of certain wrap fingers. In themodification of Fig. 4 the setup of the trick wheel may provideselective floating. l

The products of the two modifications are illustrated respectively inFigs. 5 and 6. In Fig. 5 the loop L has been produced by the wrapping ofa needle in zone A only,

followed by the formation of the stitch after the needles takes the bodyyarn Y. In this ease the wrap yarn embraces the base of the loop L asindicated at W When this occurs the wrap yarn is substantially invisiblefrom the face of the fabric. In the formation of the next loop L thewrap yarn was not only wrapped about the needle in the zone A but alsoin zone D. The result of wrapping in zone A followed by movement of theneedle so that the latch clears the loop is a production of the loop Wabout the base of the loop L The wrapping in zone D results. in platingas illustrated at P The next two loops in the wale illustrated areformed in the same manner as loop L However in the formation of loop L,wrap' ing in zone A only has again taken place an accordingly loop L isunplated, the wrap yarn being looped about its base. It will thus beobaasaaa vious that the wrap'ya'rn maybe made to selectively appear orbe hidden, as desired, without the presence of floats.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated the product wrapping may be effected. Inthe loop L of Fig. 6 the wrap yarn appears in plated relationship asillustrated at P On the other hand in loop L the wrap yarn does notappear in plated relationship being wrapped about the base of the loopas indicated at W It will be obvious from the above that by the use ofthe modification of Fig. 4 which, however, is mechanically moreelaborate than the modification of Figs. '1 and 2, a wale of the fabricmay comprise plated loops produced by double wrapping, unplated loopshaving the wrap yarn associated therewith in invisible fashion, or evenloops behind which the wrapyarn floats, all depending on the properset-up of the trick wheel. The wale particularly illustrated in Fig. 6is, of course, similar to. that produced by the machine of Shehnireapplication, Serial Number 497,977.

The advantages of the arrangement illus trated in Fig. 5 besides theinsurance of plating, as noted above, are the density of wrap yarn whereit is desired that the wrap yarn shall appear on the face of the fabriccombined w1th a sometimes desirable embossed appearance'when the wrapyarn is complished when all of the needles are being wrapped. However,if certain needles only are being wrapped the wrap fingers maybe shoggedrelatively to the needles when no wrap fingers are" passing through theneedle circle. If shogging is used in this fashion it will be obviousthat elaborate designs in volving double 'or single wrapping may beproduced.

While preferably, for mechanical reasons,

wrap ing to finally locate a loop of am below the latch is effectedprior to w iapping to produce a loop of wrap yarn above the latch, thestitches may be reversed, that is, wrapping above the latch may precedewrapping below the latch. If wrapping at both places occurs in this lastorder an-arrangement similar to that illustrated in 5 is produced, thesimilarity being in the general appearance rather than the specific layof the yarns.

The illustrations in Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic since the specificpositions occupied by the yarns depends to a great extent u on relativetensions, location on the needle 0 the wrap yarns, etc. This is broughtout in Shelmire application, Serial Number 497,- 977, in which theradial effect of heavy tension on the wrap yarn is shown. Figs. 5 and 6are accordingly meantonly to illustrate the relative crossings andinterlockings of the yarns. riations produced by different tensioning,or the like, in the following claims even though for clarity such claimsare directed to the arrangement particularly illustrated.

What we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A knitted fabric including a body of interlinked courses and a wrapyarn; said wrap yarn extending in the general direc tion of the wales ofthe fabric and in certain places being both interengaged with the basesof main loops, the portion of wrap yarn so interengaged beingsubstantially hidden by the main loops, and also forming loops lyingwith and plating the same main loops.

2. A knitted fabric including a body of interlinked courses and a wrapyarn; said wrap yarn extending in the general direction of the wales ofthe fabric, and in certain places being both interengaged with the basesof main s, the portion of wrap am so interengage being substantially hiden by .being looped thereabout the main loops, and

also forming loops lying with and plating the same main loops. I

3. A knitted fabric including abody of interlinked courses and a wrapyarn; said wra yarn extending in the general direction of t e wales ofthe fabric, in certain places being both interengaged with the bases ofmain loops, the portion of wrap am so interengaged being substantiallyhi den by the main loops, and also formin loops lying with and platingthe same main oops, and in certain other places bein tied in with mainloops and hidden there y.

4. A knitted fabric including a body of,

interlinked courses and a wrap yarn; said wra yarn extending in the of te wales of the fabric, 1n certain places being both intereng -g with thebases of main loops, the portion of wrap am so 1nterengaged beingsubstantially 'dden by bein loo thereabout the main loops, and also 0loops lying with and platm the same main cops, and in certain other acesbemfiatied in with main loops and hidden there y.

In testimony of which invention, we have hereunto set our hands, atWilmington, Delaware, on this 7th da of October 1931.

PAUL 'BRISTOW.

E. HOUSEMAN.

It is therefore intended to cover vageneral direction

